Chapter 16: Processing Daisies
The right side of the greenhouse was a veritable jungle.
That was Sean's first thought.
The plants were dense, overgrown, and impossibly lush.
That was his second.
He stuck close behind the stout professor, afraid that if he looked away for even a second, she would be completely swallowed by the rampant greenery, never to be seen again.
Professor Sprout, carrying her trowel, walked briskly between two rows of planting shelves, occasionally pinching a leaf here or sniffing a flower there.
"This is the Bouncing Bulb section," she announced, her voice loud but not jarring; it was the kind of voice that made you feel safe. "Once we're past here, we'll get to the real work."
Bouncing Bulbs? Sean peered at the thick, tangled vines. They were covered in plump, pinkish pods filled with shimmering beans. He'd read about this magical plant; the beans were said to burst into flower the instant they made contact with a solid object.
"These Bouncing Bulbs will be mature soon," Professor Sprout explained enthusiastically. "Once they are, these planting shelves will be filled with Leaping Toadstools…"
As she spoke, a gleam appeared in Sean's emerald eyes. Perhaps it was the bright light of the greenhouse, or perhaps there was just something inherently endearing about a young wizard who listened with such rapt attention. Professor Sprout's steps became even lighter.
It's wonderful, she thought. New sprouts always bring new hope. It was the sight she loved most in the world.
"Here we are, dear," she said, stopping in front of a large, sturdy wooden workbench. The center of the table was stained a dark colour from years of accumulated plant juices and soil. "Let's process these daisies."
Sean hurried forward as Professor Sprout pulled several pots of daisies from under the table. If there was anything that distinguished them from their mundane, ornamental cousins, it was their exceptionally thick stalks.
That, and the fact that twenty stalks would cost a full Galleon in Diagon Alley. The price was terrifying.
"Pay attention now, don't get distracted," Professor Sprout instructed. "For the yellow daisies, you start three inches below the petals…"
She deftly sliced into a stalk, and a milky white sap began to ooze out, which she expertly collected in a small glass phial.
"This is the only time of year you can collect the sap," she explained carefully. "The cut can't be too deep, or you'll stunt the poor flower's future growth. But it can't be too shallow, either, or the sap won't be potent enough for a proper Shrinking Solution."
With a flick of her wand, a small knife and a glass phial appeared on the workbench in front of Sean. "Your turn to try, Mr. Green."
Sean nodded and picked up the tools.
"The angle is wrong, Mr. Green, a little more to the side…"
"Too gentle, Mr. Green, be a bit bolder…"
"Oh, Mr. Green, stop! Don't cut! That's the wrong spot…"
Time slipped away in a series of failed attempts. Sean quickly realized that, just as with Potions, he seemed to have no natural talent for Herbology. He was on his fifteenth failure, his brow furrowed in concentration, when a gentle voice spoke from beside him.
"Realizing you have no talent, and still choosing to pick up the trowel—that is the true beginning of Herbology."
Sean looked up. The expression on Professor Sprout's face was as soft and profound as the afternoon sun.
He kept at it. As the professor's large shadow grew long and slanted on the greenhouse floor, Sean slowly began to grasp the essence of the task. The force, the angle, the position—every detail was critical. If he was off by even a fraction, the Panel wouldn't register any progress.
[You have fully processed a daisy to the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
The notification was like the music of angels. Having finally found the correct method, Sean was filled with a terrifying amount of energy.
[You have fully processed a daisy to the Apprentice standard. Proficiency +1]
[You have fully processed a daisy to the Novice standard. Proficiency +3]
The sun dipped lower. A stack of thirty neatly processed pots of daisies sat on the bench. Sean wiped the sweat from his brow, his eyes shining as brightly as the Herbology professor's beside him.
"Very well done, Mr. Green," Professor Sprout said, applauding softly. Nothing made her happier than seeing a young sprout grow and flourish. "Now, off to dinner with you. Oh, and take this."
She pressed a piece of candied pineapple into his hand just as a distant gong echoed through the grounds, signalling the start of the evening meal. The mealtimes at Hogwarts were fixed; if you missed one, you went hungry. While some students might ask a friend to save them something, Sean had made no such arrangements. The thought of going hungry again, especially at Hogwarts, was a terrifying prospect.
He quickly said goodbye to Professor Sprout and headed for the Great Hall. If his body had been stronger, he would have run.
"Next time," Professor Sprout called after him, "we'll be handling some… special materials."
Sean glanced back at the dark wooden table and saw a pile of what looked like fangs. Perhaps those? he wondered.
At the long Ravenclaw table, amidst a dazzling array of food, Justin was receiving a stern lecture from Hermione. He had apparently failed to notice that he also had Herbology that afternoon, with the Gryffindors, and when Hermione had spotted him in Greenhouse One, she had exploded.
"Were you doing it on purpose?!"
"I'm sorry…"
Sean, currently locked in a fierce battle with a plate of Hungarian goulash, did not notice Justin's desperate, pleading looks for a rescue.
Soon, he was sipping pumpkin juice and reviewing the day's progress.
[Herbology Knowledge: Locked (59/90)]
He had gained a full 33 proficiency points just from processing the daisies.
[Unlocking Apprentice-level Herbology Knowledge will grant an Apprentice-level Title in the field of Herbology.]
The title was within reach. If he used his remaining time wisely, he might even unlock it tonight.
He thought again about the pile of fangs. Comparing them to the illustrations in his textbook, he was now certain they were venomous snake fangs. He had no idea why Professor Sprout needed to process them, but it perfectly suited his own needs. It was one of the key ingredients for the Boil-Cure Potion.
The moment he finished his last bite, Sean was up and out of the Great Hall, leaving Justin and Hermione staring after him in surprise.
"Sean!" Justin called out, but he was already gone. "He left so quickly. I wanted to ask him to come to the library with us. Maybe he could have helped with our problem of distinguishing the mature Dittany. To be honest, I have no idea how to even start this Herbology essay."
Justin looked dejected. Magic was proving to be much harder than he had imagined. Although Professor Sprout had told them to just do their best, as a Hufflepuff, he desperately wanted to make her proud.
"I doubt he would have known," Hermione said with a helpless shake of her head, though her own confidence was unshaken. "But the Hogwarts library has thousands upon thousands of books. We'll find the answer there."